Serratospiculosis in a wild peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) from the Cerrado region, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Serratospiculum spp. are common parasites of the air sacs of Falconiformes. The objective of this study was to report a case of Serratospiculum sp. infection in an adult peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). In February 2020, an adult female peregrine falcon was found in an urban area in the municipality of Uberlândia, and the environmental authorities brought it to the Wildlife Research Laboratory, at the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The bird was unable to fly and was in poor health condition. A clinical examination revealed severe dehydration, complete carpometacarpal fracture in the left wing, confirmed by radiography, and wheezing upon auscultation of the lungs and air sacs. To confirm a possible parasitic infection of the air sacs, an endoscopic examination was performed. Two nematodes were retrieved from the right abdominal air sac, and one identified as Serratospiculum sp. based on the distinctive epaulettes representative of this genus. Even with a low parasite burden, the bird presented characteristic clinical signs that can be associated, either directly or indirectly, with Serratospiculum sp. infection. Despite this, more studies are needed to evaluate the unknown clinical aspects of this disease.